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There are many good reasons for the growth in industrial robots and manufacturers know them all. But when it comes to embracing transformative change in the highly controlled and intensely process-driven world of the factory floor, personal motivation plays a powerful role in making it real.

The looming question of recession is no longer if, but when. For manufacturers, the lack of flexibility they need to successfully navigate the uncertainty is exacerbated by labor shortages and rigid automation. The good news: collaborative robots boost flexibility and more.

Rethink Robotics, a pioneer in the new category of collaborative robots, changed the way companies think about factory automation. And yet despite the best efforts of a hardworking team, last month, Rethink Robotics shuttered its doors.

Getting consensus on the best strategy for harnessing Industry 4.0 isn’t easy. That’s ok. What the pundits say isn’t keeping leaders up at night – there are plenty of real world challenges for that. What we do know is leadership will look very different in the digital age of manufacturing.

Artificial intelligence (AI)-driven collaborative robots are not some futuristic technology that manufacturers have to wait for. The AI that makes cobots smart, capable and effective is here and at work today – improving productivity and quality in manufacturing operations large and small.

As humans and machines engage in direct working relationships, how it works is interesting. Making these connections successful draws from an unlikely source: animation and video gaming, where innovation gives autonomous characters – and robots – ways to engage in dialogue using non-verbal cues.

It’s a great time for cobots. The market potential seems limitless. It makes sense – these solutions give manufacturers relief from the challenges of labor and a path to the bright future of Industry 4.0. But how real is the hype?

Few things in my life have shaped who I am today, including graduating from MIT’s Leaders for Global Operations (at the time, Leaders for Manufacturing) program. So, when an opportunity arose for me to talk with Dr. Duane Boning, Co-Director, MIT Leaders for Global Operations Program, about the future of leadership in manufacturing and operations,…